NFL Free Agency: Stefon Diggs Signs With New England Patriots, Expects To Be Ready Week 1

The New England Patriots finally have some star power in their wide receiver room. According to ESPN's Adam Schefter, four-time Pro Bowl wide receiver Stefon Diggs has signed a three-year, $69 million deal with the Pats and is "on track" to play in Week 1.

New Patriots WR Stefon Diggs, who’s coming off a torn ACL suffered in Week 8 vs. the Colts, is on track to return for Week 1 of the upcoming season.

It was another reason the Patriots felt comfortable giving Diggs the three-year, $69 million deal that GM Eliot Wolf and Diggs’…
— Adam Schefter (@AdamSchefter) March 25, 2025

Diggs tore his ACL in Week 8 last season, prematurely ending his season and complicating his status as a free agent. The fact that he intends to be ready for the opening of the regular season indicates he has avoided complications with his injury and his recovery is progressing well.

Diggs was once one of the league's biggest stars at his position, but he's set to turn 32 years old and has become a bit of a journeyman. He began his career with the Minnesota Vikings, where he thrived for five seasons before eventually being traded to the Buffalo Bills for a package that included a 2020 first-round pick.

Diggs dominated in Buffalo, earning four consecutive Pro Bowls, yet the Bills were content to move on last year, trading him to the Houston Texans for a second-round pick. He amassed a respectable 496 receiving yards over eight appearances, but the Texans didn't see enough to invest further in him.

The size of Diggs' contract comes as quite a surprise given his age, injury situation, and history of wearing out welcomes. It exceeds the total value and annual average of the two-year, $44 million deal Davante Adams signed with the Los Angeles Rams earlier this offseason. Adams is a six-time Pro Bowler coming off a fifth-straight 1000-yard season.

History may eventually show the Patriots overplayed for Diggs, but they are rightly desperate for pass catchers. Their 17.0 points per game last season ranked 30th in the league, and their passing attack finished dead last in yards with 176.2 per game. They took quarterback Drake Maye with the third-overall pick of the 2024 NFL Draft, and for him to succeed going forward, he'll need a lot more help. Diggs could be just the security blanket Maye needs.